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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cue — a signal
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. present — there
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cold — not warm
  19. present — a gift
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. present — the time now
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com